The art of making and laying bricks or blocks for the construction of some architectural form had its beginnings somewhere back in the dim edges of history. Kiln burnt bricks made by the Babylonians are still in existence, now 6,000 years old.
The Egyptians made bricks that were dried only by the sun. They later learned that mixing straw with the mud would add strength.
Another method used in the southwest part of this country was to cut the desired size and shape block right out of the bed where the clay was found.
The Greeks built with quarried stone and did not use mortar. Their blocks were held together by interlocking joints, arches, etc.
Hydraulic mortar was re-invented after being lost during the Dark Ages. It could withstand the ravages of water to a high degree and was used to construct lighthouses in England.
The next improvement was the invention of portland cement. It was invented by Joseph Aspdin of Leeds, England. The cement looked like the stone quarried on the Isle of Portland, thus the name.
The next improvement came in relatively recent times. It was a larger element that would save material. This was accomplished by coring out as in concrete or cinder block, leaving hollows as in clay tile, the tile being extruded and the blocks being molded.
It is therefore evident that in an industry that is so primary to the needs of the people, a new way of making and/or laying the elements of a wall, foundation or building is very much needed.